"Sheltering from Oil Shocks.": New IEA report highlights options to ease oil price pressures on consumers in response to Middle East supply disruptions

New IEA report highlights options to ease oil price pressures on consumers in response to Middle East supply disruptions

The International Energy Agency today set out a range of demand-side actions that governments, businesses and households can take to alleviate the economic impacts on consumers of the disruptions to oil markets stemming from the war in the Middle East.

A new IEA report identifies ten measures that can be implemented quickly by governments, businesses and households. These actions focus primarily on road transport, which accounts for around 45% of global oil demand, but also cover aviation, cooking and industry. Widespread adoption, where possible, would amplify their global impact and help cushion the shock.

Governments can lead by example through public sector measures, regulatory action and targeted incentives while ensuring that support for consumers is timed appropriately and focused on those most in need. Experience from previous crises shows that well-targeted support mechanisms are more effective and fiscally sustainable than broad-based subsidies.

Immediate actions to reduce demand:

1. Work from home where possible
Displaces oil use from commuting, particularly where jobs are suitable for remote work.

2. Reduce highway speed limits by at least 10 km/h
Lower speeds reduce fuel use for passenger cars, vans and trucks.

3. Encourage public transport
A shift from private cars to buses and trains can quickly reduce oil demand.

4. Alternate private car access to roads in large cities on different days
Number-plate rotation schemes can reduce congestion and fuel-intensive driving.

5. Increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices
Higher car occupancy and eco-driving can lower fuel consumption quickly.

6. Efficient driving for road commercial vehicles and delivery of goods 
Better driving practices, vehicle maintenance and load optimisation can cut diesel use.

7. Divert LPG use from transport 
Shifting bi-fuel and converted vehicles from LPG to gasoline can preserve LPG for cooking and other essential needs.

8. Avoid air travel where alternative options exist
Reducing business flights can quickly ease pressure on jet fuel markets.

9. Where possible, switch to other modern cooking solutions 
Encouraging electric cooking and other modern options can reduce reliance on LPG.

10. Leverage flexibility with petrochemical feedstocks and implement short-term efficiency and maintenance measures 
Industry can help free up LPG for essential uses while reducing oil consumption through quick operational improvements.

"Sheltering from Oil Shocks."

Wei Zhao 

A CRISIS BIGGER THAN CV IS COMING. THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY JUST PUBLISHED THE DOCUMENT THAT PROVES IT. Remember CV lockdowns? "Two weeks to flatten the curve." No driving. No leaving home. No life. That was a warm-up. On March 20, 2026, the IEA published "Sheltering from Oil Shocks." It is the CV lockdown playbook — but for your car, your job, your movement. And this time, there is no vaccine to end it. Here are the 10 things they want governments to DO TO YOU: Work from home — cut your right to move for work. Forever if possible. Lower speed limits by 10+ km/h on ALL highways — your commute, slower, forever. Shift to public transport — private cars are the enemy. Increase carpooling — share your space or don't drive. Car-free Sundays — the government owns one day of your movement per week. Alternating license plate restrictions — odd number? You don't drive today. Cut 40% of business flights globally — your career, their decision. Switch to electric cooking — your kitchen, their mandate. Here is the logic trap: Trump launched the war. → The war closed the Strait of Hormuz. → The oil crisis hit. → IEA releases the lockdown plan. → Governments implement it. → Your freedom is gone. → Trump promised lower energy prices. → His own Energy Secretary says "no guarantees." → The agency Trump called "radical" and threatened to quit is now running your life. The plan is live. The governments are watching. Some will implement it "voluntarily" within weeks. Prepare accordingly.